Les myopathies centro-nucléaires (CNM) sont un groupe de maladies musculaires sévères caractérisées par une faiblesse musculaire générale. La forme la plus sévère est la CNM liée à l’X (XLCNM), causée par des mutations de la Myotubularine (MTM1). D’autres formes autosomales existent et sont causées par des mutations de l’Amphiphysine2 (BIN1) et de la Dynamine2 (DNM2). Les mécanismes pathologiques menant aux CNMs restent à éclaircir et à ce jour aucune thérapie n’est disponible pour traiter les patients. Nous avons modulé les niveaux de protéines de MTM1, BIN1 et DNM2 dans des modèles murins de CNMs. Nous avons découvert que la sous-régulation de DNM2 sauvait le modèle murin de XLCNM et que la sur-expression de la protéine BIN1 humaine sauvait le modèle murin XLCNM ainsi que la forme autosomale causée par les mutations DNM2. Nous avons montré que MTM1 contrôlait l’adhésion cellulaire et le recyclage de l’intégrine dans les cellules musculaires. Nous avons observé que la sur-expression de BIN1 sauvait la dérégulation du recyclage de l’intégrine dans le modèle murin de XLCNM, ce qui suggère un lien fonctionnel entre BIN1 et MTM1 nécessaire pour l’adhésion focale au niveaux musculaire. Notre étude montre que MTM1, BIN1 et DNM2 participe à une voie de signalisation commune et que BIN1 et DNM2 représentent de nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques pour le traitement des CNM. / Centronuclear myopathies (CNM) are a group of severe muscle disorder characterized by general muscle weakness. The most severe form is the X-linked CNM (XLCNM), caused by mutations in Myotubularin (MTM1). Others autosomal forms are caused by mutations in Amphiphysin 2 (BIN1) and Dynamin 2 (DNM2). The CNM pathomechanisms are still unclear and to date there are no therapies available to the disease. To investigate the pathways dysregulated in CNM and to identify new therapeutic strategies, we modulated MTM1, BIN1 and DNM2 protein levels in the CNM mouse models. We discovered that DNM2 downregulation rescued the XLCNM mouse model and that the overexpression of human BIN1 rescued the XLCNM and the autosomal dominant CNM form due to DNM2 mutations. We have also showed that MTM1 controls cell adhesion and integrin recycling in mammalian skeletal muscle and BIN1 overexpression rescued the integrin recycling alteration in XLCNM mouse model suggesting that MTM1 and BIN1 are functionally linked and necessary for focal adhesions in muscle. Therefore, our studies highlight that MTM1, BIN1 and DNM2 are in a common pathway and, BIN1 and DNM2 could be new therapeutic targets to treat the different CNM forms.

La cellule NK fait partie du système immunitaire inné et participe à l’immunosurveillance anti-tumorale. La compréhension des facteurs affectant leur biologie, telle que la génétique, est donc cruciale. Dans un premier temps, nous avons évalué le rôle de la sous-unité d’intégrine CD11d, sur le phénotype et l'expression d’autres sous-unités (CD11a, CD11b, CD11c, CD18) de diverses cellules immunitaires entre un modèle murin CD11d-KO et une souris C57BL/6 (B6). Nous avons remarqué que l'effet de la délétion de CD11d sur l'expression des autres sous-unités d'intégrine est spécifique à chaque type de cellule immunitaire. La différence la plus notable dans l'expression de CD11b et CD11c a été observée dans les cellules NK. La perte de CD11d dans les cellules NK a entraîné une diminution de l'expression de CD107a après leur activation, ce qui suggère une altération de la dégranulation des cellules NK. Ensuite, malgré une croissance de mélanome similaire, une plus grande proportion de cellules NK issues de CD11d-KO se sont accumulées dans les lits tumoraux par rapport à leur homologue B6. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons exploité le modèle murin NOD, connu d’avoir des défauts immunitaires importants. L’acquisition des fonctions cytotoxiques des cellules NK se fait par un processus appelé maturation fonctionnelle où une cellule NK est d’abord CD27-CD11b-, suivi du stade CD27+CD11b-, puis CD27+CD11b+ et finalement CD27-CD11b+, soit le stade le plus mature et cytotoxique. Nous avons démontré que les cellules NK de la souris NOD produisent nettement moins d’IFN-γ, de TNFα et de Granzyme B et échouent à réguler l’expression du récepteur d’activation NKG2D pour chaque stade de maturation fonctionnelle. Finalement, nous avons traité des souris immunodéficientes porteuses de tumeurs avec des cellules NK de NOD et B6. Nous avons démontré que, tout comme pour les cellules NK de B6, ce sont surtout des cellules NK CD27+ de NOD qui s’accumulent dans les tumeurs. Par contre, les souris injectées avec des cellules de NOD montraient une croissance tumorale significativement plus importante. De manière générale, ces études sont les premières à élucider les impacts de l’absence de CD11d sur le phénotype et la fonction des cellules NK ainsi que leurs défauts fonctionnels dans la souris NOD au courant de leur maturation fonctionnelle. / NK cells are part of the innate immune system and participate in anti-tumor immunosurveillance. Understanding the factors affecting their biology, such as genetics, is therefore crucial. First, we evaluated the role of the integrin subunit CD11d on the phenotype and expression of other subunits (CD11a, CD11b, CD11c, CD18) of various immune cells between a CD11d-KO mouse model and a C57BL/6 (B6) mouse. We noted that the effect of CD11d deletion on the expression of other integrin subunits is specific to each immune cell type. The most notable difference in CD11b and CD11c expression was observed in NK cells. Loss of CD11d in NK cells resulted in decreased CD107a expression after their activation, suggesting impaired NK cell degranulation. Second, despite similar melanoma growth, a greater proportion of CD11d-KO-derived NK cells accumulated in tumor beds compared to their B6 counterpart. We then exploited the NOD mouse model, known to have significant immune defects. The acquisition of cytotoxic functions of NK cells occurs through a process called functional maturation where an NK cell is first CD27-CD11b-, followed by the CD27+CD11b- stage, then CD27+CD11b+ and finally CD27-CD11b+, the most mature and cytotoxic stage. We demonstrated that NK cells from NOD mice produce significantly less IFN-γ, TNFα, and Granzyme B and fail to regulate the expression of the activation receptor NKG2D for each stage of functional maturation. Finally, we treated immunodeficient tumor-bearing mice with NOD and B6 NK cells. We demonstrated that, as with B6 NK cells, NOD CD27+ NK cells predominantly accumulated in tumors. However, mice injected with NOD NK cells showed significantly greater tumor growth. Overall, these studies are the first to elucidate the impact of the absence of CD11d on the phenotype and function of NK cells as well as their functional defects in NOD mice during their functional maturation.

No description available.

Specific interactions of ligands with receptors is one of the approaches for active targeting of anticancer drugs to cancer cells. Over expression of integrin receptors is a physiological manifestation in several cancers and is associated with cancer progression and metastasis, which makes it an attractive target for cancer chemotherapy. The peptide sequence for this integrin recognition is the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD). Self-assembly offers a unique way of presenting ligands to target receptors for recognition and binding. This study focuses on development of integrin specific peptide amphiphile self-assemblies as carriers for targeted delivery of paclitaxel to α v β 3 integrin overexpressing cancers. Amphiphiles composed of conjugates of different analogs of RGD (linear, cyclic or glycosylated) and aliphatic fatty acid with or without 8-amino-3,6-dioxaoctanoic acid (ADA) as linker were synthesized and characterized. The amphiphiles exhibited Critical Micellar Concentration in the range of 7-30 μM. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed the formation of spherical micelles in the size range of 10-40 nm. Forster Resonance Energy Transfer studies revealed entrapment of hydrophobic dyes within a tight micellar core and provided information regarding the cargo exchange within micelles. The RGD micelles exhibited competitive binding with 55% displacement of a bound fluorescent probe by the cyclic RGD micelles. The internalization of fluorescein isothiocynate (FITC) loaded RGD micelles was significantly higher in A2058 melanoma cells compared to free FITC within 20 minutes of incubation at 37°C. The same micelles showed significantly lower internalization at 4°C and on pretreatment with 0.45M sucrose confirming endocytotic uptake of the RGD micellar carriers. The IC50 of paclitaxel in A2058 melanoma cells was lower when treated within RGD micelles as compared to treatment of free drug. On the other hand, IC50 values increased by 2 to 9 fold for micellar treatment in comparison to free drug in Detroit 551 cells. In A2058 melanoma xenograft mice model, the Paclitaxel-RGD micelles exhibited a significant inhibition of tumor growth in comparison to control treatment for both alternate day and twice weekly treatments. The studies showed the feasibility of using the non covalent peptide based self-assemblies as vehicles for targeted delivery in cancer.

Herein we report the synthesis of an RGD-ruthenium bipyridine [Ru(Bpy)2(BpyRGD)]2+ complex aimed at the detection of angiogenesis. Angiogenesis plays a critical role in many pathophysiological processes, such as tumor growth. The αv-integrins (αv[beta]3, αv[beta]5) are currently used as molecular targeting sites for anti-angiogenic therapies. The [Ru(Bpy)2(BpyRGD)]2+ complex is an organometallic luminescent probe, which enables noninvasive, in vitro imaging of αv[beta]3 expression. Peptides containing the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence have been shown to bind strongly to the αvb3 integrin. The RuBpy probes are soluble in water, display long lifetimes, and are photochemically stable. These properties enable the Ru(tris-bpy) complexes to be useful in numerous applications in biophysical and cell biology. The [Ru(Bpy)2(BpyRGD)]2+ complex was synthesized by combining the succinimidyl ester on the RuBpy complex with the lysine of the c(RGDfK) peptide. The results of the one-photon fluorescence bioimaging showed selective binding of the cyclic RGD to αv[beta]3 integrin, which supports previous literature. The high luminescence intensity, long lifetimes, and low cell toxicity levels of dye [Ru(Bpy)2(BpyRGD)]2+, illustrates the potential usage of this probe for future biological applications.

Articular cartilage is an avascular and flexible connective tissue found in joints. It produces a cushioning effect at the joints and provides low friction to protect the ends of the bones from wear and tear/damage. It has poor repair capacity and any injury can result pain and loss of mobility. One of the common forms of articular cartilage disease which has a huge impact on patient¿s life is arthritis. Research on cartilage cell/tissue engineering will help patients to improve their physical activity by replacing or treating the diseased/damaged cartilage tissue. Cartilage cell, called chondrocyte is embedded in the matrix (Lacunae) and has round shape in vivo. The in vitro monolayer culture of primary chondrocyte causes morphological change characterized as dedifferentiation. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-¿), a cytokine superfamily, regulates cell function, including differentiation and proliferation. The effect of TGF-¿1, 2, 3, and their manipulated forms in biological regulation of primary chondrocyte was investigated in this work. A novel method was developed to isolate and purify the primary chondrocytes from knee joint of neonate Sprague-Dawley rat, and the effect of some supplementations such as hyaluronic acid and antibiotics were also investigated to provide the most appropriate condition for in vitro culture of chondrocyte cells. Addition of 0.1mg/ml hyaluronic acid in chondrocyte culture media resulted an increase in primary chondrocyte proliferation and helped the cells to maintain chondrocytic morphology. TGF-¿1, 2 and 3 caused chondrocytes to obtain fibroblastic phenotype, alongside an increase in apoptosis. The healing process of the wound closure assay of chondrocyte monolayers were slowed down by all three isoforms of TGF-¿. All three types of TGF-¿ negatively affected the strength of chondrocyte adhesion. TGF-¿1, 2 and 3 up regulated the expression of collagen type-II, but decreased synthesis of collagen type-I, Chondroitin sulfate glycoprotein, and laminin. They did not show any significant change in production of S-100 protein and fibronectin. TGF-¿2, and 3 did not change expression of integrin-¿1 (CD29), but TGF-¿1 decreased the secretion of this adhesion protein. Manipulated TGF-¿ showed huge impact on formation of fibroblast like morphology of chondrocytes with chondrocytic phenotype. These isoforms also decreased the expression of laminin, chondroitin sulfate glycoprotein, and collagen type-I, but they increased production of collagen type-II and did not induce synthesis of fibronectin and S-100 protein. In addition, the strength of cell adhesion on solid surface was reduced by manipulated TGF-¿. Only manipulated form of TGF-¿1 and 2 could increase the proliferation rate. Manipulation of TGF-¿ did not up regulate the expression of integrin-¿1in planar culture system. The implications of this R&D work are that the manipulation of TGF-¿ by combination of TGF-¿1, 2, and 3 can be utilized in production of superficial zone of cartilage and perichondrium. The collagen, fibronectin and hyaluronic acid could be recruited for the fabrication of a biodegradable scaffold that promotes chondrocyte growth for autologous chondrocyte implantation or for formation of cartilage.

No description available.

No description available.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD). Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV). Both PCV2 and PRRSV have caused devastating diseases in the swine industry worldwide, resulting in immense economic losses. One of the most common co-infections in the swine industry is PCV2 and PRRSV. The aim of this dissertation research is to explore different experimental approaches to develop novel vaccines against the two major pathogens affecting swine production and study the basic mechanisms that may be involved in viral pathogenesis. Two types of porcine circovirus (PCV), PCV1 and PCV2, have been identified thus far. PCV1, first identified as a contaminant of the PK-15 cell line, is non-pathogenic and has a low prevalence in swine herds. PCV2 is highly prevalent in most swine-producing countries and is associated with clinical PCVAD. The non-pathogenic PCV1 shares similar genomic organization with PCV2. Previously, it has been demonstrated that a genetically modified infectious chimeric PCV1-2a virus can tolerate up to a 27 aa insertion in the C-terminus of the ORF2 without affecting infectivity and produce a dual immune response against PCV2cap and the inserted epitope tag. Therefore, we evaluated the use of the non-pathogenic PCV1 wild-type (wt) virus and chimeric PCV1-2a vaccine virus (vs) to express four known B-cell epitopes of PRRSV. Peptide epitopes of PRRSV-VR2385, including GP2II (aa 40–51, ASPSHVGWWSFA), GP3I (aa 61–72, QAAAEAYEPGRS), GP5I (aa 35–46, SSSNLQLIYNLT), and GP5IV (aa 187–200, TPVTRVSAEQWGRP) were inserted in frame into the C-terminus of the ORF2 of PCV1wt as well as the PCV1-2avs. Four PCV1-PRRSVEPI chimeric viruses and four PCV1-2a-PRRSVEPI chimeric viruses were successfully rescued and shown to be infectious in vitro and co-expressed PCV1cap or PCV2cap with each specific PRRSV epitope. Two independent animal studies were conducted to evaluate whether the non-pathogenic PCV1 can serve as a vaccine delivery vector and whether the PCV1-2a vaccine virus can be used to develop a bivalent vaccine against both PCV2 and PRRSV. We demonstrated that three PCV1-PRRSVEPI chimeric viruses and two PCV1-2a-PRRSVEPI chimeric viruses were infectious in pigs. Importantly, we demonstrated that the PCV1-PRRSVEPI and PCV1-2a-PRRSVEPI chimeric viruses not only induced specific PCV1 or PCV2 IgG antibody but also specific anti-PRRSV epitope antibody responses as well. Regardless of the PCV backbone used, we showed that the PCV-PRRSV chimeric viruses elicited neutralizing antibodies against PRRSV-VR2385. These results provided a proof of concept for the potential use of the non-pathogenic PCV1 as a vaccine delivery system for PRRSV or other swine pathogens and the use of PCV1-2a vaccine virus to generate a bivalent vaccine against both PCV2 and PRRSV. PRRSV causes a persistent infection and immunosuppression. Immunomodulation of the host immune system is caused by modulation of numerous interleukins, such as type I interferons, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in infected pigs. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are the first line of defense, and their infection plays an important role in innate-mediated immune regulation during early immune responses. Among the APCs, pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs), pulmonary interstitial macrophages (PIMs), and dendritic cells (DCs) are the main targets for PRRSV replication. The role of PRRSV-DCs interaction is not fully understood, and current research focuses on the production and regulation of interferons through DC-SIGN receptors. In this study, we evaluated the immunomodulation of MoDCs by PRRSV through interactions with the pDC-SIGN receptor, by blocking pDC-SIGN with recombinant hICAM-3-Fc or anti-pDC-SIGN mAb. Our results indicate that recombinant hICAM-3-Fc enhances mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines and that anti-pDC-SIGN mAb inhibits mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-1α and enhances the expression of IL-12 induced by PRRSV in MoDCs. The results will help understand the molecular mechanisms of PRRSV pathogenesis. / Ph. D.

No description available.